View Bishop-elect Steven J. Lopes' homily on the First Sunday of Advent, which also marked the Ordinariate's first use of Divine Worship: The Missal, the new liturgical texts for the celebration of Mass in the Ordinariates around the world.

Bishop-elect Lopes gave the homily at Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Church in Houston, Texas on the first Sunday of Advent, which marked the Ordinariate’s first use of Divine Worship: The Missal, the new liturgical texts promulgated by the Vatican this Advent for the celebration of Mass in the Personal Ordinariates around the world.

"WASHINGTON — When Susan White converted to the Catholic faith 25 years ago, she made the painful choice to leave behind the Anglican devotions, prayers and traditions that had formed her Christian life up until that point..."

"At the level of style, Pope Francis is obviously a somewhat jarring contrast with his predecessor, emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. Francis generally comes off as a warm Latin populist, Benedict more a cool German intellectual ..."

"Pope Francis has given a group of breakaway North American Anglicans who joined the Catholic Church en masse a new leader, naming the first bishop to lead the small but growing movement within US Catholicism..."

"At 12 noon today, CST, I was able to take part in a telephone press conference with the Ordinariate Chancery in Houston, at which Monsignor Jeffrey Steenson introduced the newly appointed Bishop-elect Steven Lopes..."

"The first inkling that there was anything afoot at the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter came Tuesday morning when an email popped up stating: "'Pope Francis Names First Bishop to Lead Catholics Nurtured in the Anglican Tradition ...'"

Pope Francis has named the Rev. Monsignor Steven J. Lopes to be the first bishop of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter: a structure equivalent to a diocese for Roman Catholics who were nurtured in the Anglican tradition.

"Pleasing Baltimore-area Catholic priests who were formerly Anglican, Pope Francis has named Monsignor Steven J. Lopes as the first bishop of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Based in Texas, the ordinariate serves former Anglicans in the United States and Canada ..."

What wonderful news from the Holy See this morning, that Pope Francis has appointed Msgr. Steven Lopes to be the first bishop of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter for Canada and the United States!